Friday, September 21, 2012

*some kind of plastic bunch of grapes?? (Looked at it up close. Still not sure what it is or what it's for.)
*furry Siamese cat statue-ie thing that meows (Can't decide if it's cute or creepy.)
*red power ranger that can turn into a tiger (complete with demonstration and sound effects)
*pink pretend girlie stuff--blow dryer that "doesn't make sounds at all", comb, perfume that's "fake but I can pretend it smells," and a curling iron that's "for real hair and it can dye your hair any color you want it" (Wow! That's a good curling iron!)
*blue sequined headband (That I think came to school as an accessory but became show and tell out of necessity.)
*green monster truck with "kinda big wheels" that J. forgot at Sammy's house and he found it under his bed. (Which we all know is where toys try to hide every time.)
*star fish from Oregon; "It's real!" (I loved this show and tell. Not only the most unique one of the day, but it came with a vacation story which included a zoo, some stores, and lots of hotels. Which seemed to be the highlight of the trip.)
*Buzz Lightyear action figure and Mr. Potato Head video game (Toy Story theme. I love Toy Story!)
*stuffed cat, stuffed wolf, stuffed Bernie and Tracker that are "my briothers'", stuffed Otto "from the baseball game" (What kind of kid brings 5 stuffed animals for show and tell?! Oh, yeah...mine.)

And here's my show and tell. This shirt that is...well, decide for yourself.

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Just a note to let you know that my teaching year is CRAZY. Twenty-six total students from ages 4 to 14. Six grade levels with a learning and skill spectrum far wider. Lessons to plan. Papers to prep. Tests to write and give and grade. Games to create and play. Books to choose and assign. Gogurt and fruit snack and apple sauce cups to open. Not to mention all the extras I do like Box Top duty and being student council advisor. My days are busy and full to the max and flying by. (Two weeks down already!) But as busy as they are (and after surviving a rough first week), my days are also filled with 26 of the cutest, sweetest, funniest, smartest, most wonderful little souls I've ever met. I laugh out loud every single day! And I get to share the wonders of the world with those who are still in wonder. Challenging job? Yes. But an amazing job, too. Just amazing.

So, I guess what you need to know is this. Trying to be the best teacher I can be takes a lot of energy and time and leaves very little time for blogging. Therefore, expect far fewer new posts for a while. (I didn't even get to 10 Things Thursday this week although I had several fascinating topics to choose from. Like the top 10 snack choices of kindergartners and the 10 most amusing middle school excuses for why work isn't finished.) And if the posts that do happen to appear aren't quite grammatically correct or well written or, you know, coherent, you'll understand why.

Thanks for understanding. You are the best blog readers ever. All 4 of you.

Thursday, September 06, 2012

1. Last year I had 7 kindergarten students. This year I have 14. You would think that would mean twice as much work. It doesn't mean that at all. It means at least 10 times as much work. Surprising, but true.2. I like having a bigger class. Last year I felt like half my class was always absent and I had a hard time wanting to teach to half a class.3. I have no students whose first names begin with any letter past M in the alphabet. No Ts or Rs or Ss. Weird.4. But I do have two little girls with the 209th most popular name according to Baby Center. What are the odds?5. I always forget, and this year was no exception, that I have to teach everything...from where the bathrooms are to every single little rule to how to walk in line. At least most of them know how to hold a pencil, so that's a bonus.6. Sitting in chapel with 14 four and five year olds and trying to keep them still, quiet, and listening is like, well, sitting in chapel with 14 four and five year olds and trying to keep them still, quiet, and listening.7. After a year, it has been determined by an expert in the leopard gecko field that my class's leopard geckos are, in fact, girls. Here are the names the kids suggested. Sparkle (3 votes), Shiny, Butterfly (2 votes), A (yes, the letter A), Rainbow (2 votes), Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Head, Robot, Grabber, Praying Mantis, Petshop, Sunny Day, Pencil, Mr. Potato Head, Mrs. Potato Head, Cake, and Sprinkle. And after a lengthy Facebook discussion (and lots of more appropriate, but no less amusing, suggestions), the geckos are to be named Lucy Sparkle and Ethel Rainbow.8. My afternoon class has been fun, too. More challenging in some ways, like lesson planning and preparation. But less challenging in some ways, like how they all know that if they tip their chairs they will, in fact, fall out of said chairs.9. On day 2, after an exciting and informative lesson on human migration to the Americas, I got the best teacher compliment ever. Josh, my very own son, told me that he liked how I taught history. And in my head I did a fist pump and said, "YES!"10. I am thinking that this year is going to be one of, if not my most, challenging year yet. Larger class sizes, combined ages in each class, switching from kindergarten mode in the mornings to middle school mode in the afternoon, having my own children in my classes, trying to not just be a good teacher, but a great teacher. Yes. All challenges. But challenges I'm willing and able to undertake. For the sake of the kids. (But I have a feeling I'm going to need lots of Diet Coke and Oreos to get through it!)